Video footage of a BMW main dealer technician attempting to disconnect a front-facing dashcam from a customer’s car has emerged online. The technician can be seen fiddling with the dashcam before what’s likely to be a routine test drive.

However, while adjusting the rear-view mirror to gain better access to the camera he spots a second, interior-facing camera in the corner of his eye and double takes before realising his every move is being recorded. He abandons efforts to disconnect the front-facing camera, repositions the camera and casually reverses the car off the forecourt.

I BELIEVE ALL DASH CAMS SHOULD BE TURNED OFF AND NOT RECORDING WHEN THE VEHICLE IS IN ANY GARAGE FOR ANY WORK.
NOBODY IN THAT GARAGE HAS AGREED TO BE FILMED AND I BELIEVE THE RULE IS:
You cannot film on private property without permission.

NOTHING TO DO WITH HIDING WHATS BEING DONE, THATS ALL ON THE NOW EVHC EVERYONE HAS TO DO.

I completely agree with the previous comment .If a car is fitted
with a dash cam I insist it is switch off before coming into the
workshop. I don’t want people filming all the expensive equipment
that I have in my workshop .This I feel will bring on a rise in
workshop break ins which I am sure nobody wants.

I disconnect forward facing cams but only when the vehicle is in the workshop I don’t want people seeing my tools or watching me while I work, also there may be other customers details on computer screens so cocould breach gdpr rules. When I test drive I reconnect them as I have nothing to hide

I’m a BMW technician and like most of my colleagues, even at Tesla, refuse these cameras to watch any activity.
IT IS A DEVICE TO RECORD A POTENTIAL CASE ACCIDENT. NOT TO PERV OVER A WORKING INDIVIDUAL.
When a customer says they want a full recording a do not touch device a sign goes over it saying GDPR and then rock music is played inside. Get over it.

It’s easy to see why garages may be a little apprehensive about their workshop being filmed, especially given how much equipment is there and the value of it, but if the vehicle is on road test then the camera should be connected. There’s no real reason for turning it off on a road test.

The suggestion from Graham is great though, placing something over the camera whilst its in the workshop.

Data protection law needs to prevail here.
If a vehicle dashcam is recording during a workshop repair it is recording technicians activities, private conversations, potential libelous comments about customers, the chance of hearing financial details which may be private and many other infringements of personal information.
There can be only one rule to protect staff and customers alike and that is to turn these devices off.
Customer perceptions can never be calculated, as a tech I know once said, “never let a customer see you hitting his car with a hammer, it is as bad as watching another man make love to your wife!”

I can really only think of one reason why a customer would want to record me working on or driving his car and that is, quite simply, because he doesn’t trust me.
Which is fine but I’m quite happy to to him go somewhere else.